


Leaves no step had trodden black

by theremin



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: High School, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:15:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29466351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theremin/pseuds/theremin
Summary: Johnny gets another chance at 1984.
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence
Comments: 287
Kudos: 323





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this starts out at the beginning of KK2 and then picks up at the beginning of S3E1... you'll see, it'll make sense.
> 
> EDIT: I made a [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ifmhyuGM9W7nTBTtChfXU?si=sy4Y3pYXSra21SZn_T8CdQ) for this fic with some songs from the fic, some 1984 jams and some general vibes :)

"No, you're the loser, man," Johnny Lawrence told John Kreese, tears burned at the back of his eyelids but he would not allow them to fall. The fight had been - fucking terrible, at least on Johnny's part. Johnny was strong, he was on the top of his game, he was a winner. Using dirty tactics against a technically excellent but in all other ways much weaker and smaller opponent? That was supposed to be how he went out of the All Valley Championship, the finale to his otherwise glittering high school sports career? No wonder the audience had booed him. And now his sensei, the man who had been more of a father to him than any other man had stepped up to be, kicked him off the team, called him a loser, called him worthless. 

"Oh, I'm the loser?" Kreese said, and Johnny knew that look was dangerous but he didn't care.

"Yeah," he said, as steadily as he could, and then Kreese broke his second place trophy like it was made out of saltines, threw it aside, and Johnny barely got to say something incredulous about how Kreese was sick in the head before Kreese had him in a fucking chokehold, he could hear the other guys tell him to stop but the voices grew more and more distant, and he blinked and he could see LaRusso and his sensei walk towards them, jesus christ the ultimate fucking humiliation, LaRusso's eyes were large and brown and worried and then his sensei said, "Let him go," but Kreese didn't let go and the world turned black, sort of flickered, and then Johnny could see a big, ugly, latino guy, like he was standing over him.

"You're dead, amigo," he said, and raised his foot to stomp directly onto Johnny's face.

Just as the foot was about to make impact the world flickered again, and he could see another guy look at him, some guy he'd never seen before in his life but that looked familiar - he looked like LaRusso, like a really old version of LaRusso, must be his dad, what the fuck did LaRusso's dad want from him? 

"Johnny? Johnny, can you hear me?"

More black, and then he blinked his eyes open and he was on the ground, heaving for air, and he watched in horror and awe as LaRusso's tiny sensei flitted around Kreese, the man Johnny had idolized since he was 12, as he punched through car glass trying to get at him until his knuckles gushed blood.

Then he honked Kreese's nose.

Johnny felt pretty sure his life could not get any worse.

*

TEN YEARS LATER, Johnny was seeing this chick who wanted to be a psychologist. She liked analyzing people around her, which was annoying as fuck, but she was also hot and kind of wild so he went along with it. It was the first time he'd talked about the time when he got choked by his sensei, and how he saw these two guys he didn't know who were. Even all these years later, they were still so clear in his mind, the whole experience was. To Johnny admitting the man he'd admired so greatly had turned out to be such a fucking dick was the big thing, but she just wanted to talk about the hallucinations. She had the idea the latino guy and LaRusso's dad were warring facets of his personality, one destructive and violent and the other paternal and nurturing. She said it was because he was a Gemini.

God, what a moron that chick was.

*

ANOTHER TWENTY FIVE YEARS LATER, Johnny had proven his younger self who had thought he'd seen the worst his life had to offer wrong about a thousand times over. Try this on for size: after a whole life of being a fuckup, you finally try to get your house in order, you become a sensei, you get a student - an _excellent student_ \- you tentatively try to make things right with your kid and your ex, even your high school rival hey, look at mister maturity over here! Hell, he'd even met a woman, a hot woman, who came with the bonus of not being a total moron or crazy bitch. But he should have known Life had only given him Things so they could all be painfully yanked away, so he could feel some new shade and flavor of fucking misery. His dojo was accused of starting a... high school karate war, his star pupil (and, sad as it was to admit, considering he was about eight years old, best friend) Miguel had a broken back and was in the hospital in a coma _(god please make it please make it please make it I'll do anything as long as the kid makes it)_ , the hot woman also happened to be Miguel's mom which made the guy who taught her kid to fight number one on her shitlist, Robby was on the run and would probably end up in fucking Shawshank, and Daniel LaRusso - ah, who gave a fuck about Daniel LaRusso. 

In short, life was garbage. You'd think Johnny would have learned how to deal with life being garbage by now. It was nothing new. But there he was, past fifty and still seeking the old ways to numb pain – drink and violence.

One night he got into it with these two Mexicans at a bar, and he stalked them out into the parking lot, shoved his fist through their car window and pulled one of them out of it, then the other guy got him with a good punch to the ribs, then an uppercut that sent him sprawling to the ground.

"You're dead, amigo," the big guy said, raised his foot. Even as hammered as Johnny was, recognition flickered. 

"Hey," he said, weakly. "it's-" and then the foot came down, and the world turned black.

...

...

...

Johnny woke up. 

Johnny felt good.

Johnny felt fucking amazing.

Shit, he thought. He must be in hospital, on some real heavy morphine, if he was feeling good after the night he had. Or maybe he was dead, and admin got him confused with some other guy and they let him into heaven. He opened his eyes. He stared. Well, the heaven theory was definitely wrong. No fucking way would heaven look like his old room in Sid's house. 

What the fuck was he doing in Sid's house?? How fucked up must he have been to give that prick's name as an emergency contact? Even being picked up by Daniel LaRusso would have been preferable. Jesus, he'd never hear the end of it, now. He needed to get the fuck out of there. He got out of bed, walked over to the door, and then stopped. There used to be a long mirror on the wall, Johnny liked to use it to check out his form when he lifted. For some reason, it had been hung back up.

In the mirror, Johnny Lawrence looked to be all of seventeen years old. He blinked. He waved at his reflection and the reflection waved back. He took his T-shirt off. Holy shit. He was like rock. Then, the door opened.

"Johnny- oh, you're up," his mom said. His dead mom. She looked - she looked so fucking young. She was a total babe, actually. She hadn't had any hair left at the end, looked all skinny and raw like a baby bird, when he'd lifted her up to go to the bathroom she'd been like twigs in his arms. 

"Mom?" he said, weakly.

"Well, I never! Does this mean my days of dragging you out of bed are over?"

"Uh"

"Or are you just that excited about the Halloween party tonight?" She smiled, a wide, warm smile. When he was a kid he used to think his mom was the most beautiful woman on the planet. He'd been right.

"Mom," Johnny said again, walked over, and wrapped her up in a big hug. She laughed, surprised but happy, put both arms around him and hugged back.

"Oh, my big, handsome man. Love of my life. Are you okay, honey?"

"Never better," Johnny said, blinking, grinning hard. His eyes focussed at a calendar hanging on the wall, a calendar with a hot babe in aerobics gear on it. The calendar said, 1984.

Well, that was all the proof Johnny needed.

This must be heaven, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Considering he was about 90% sure he was dead, Johnny Lawrence felt glowingly, electrically, irrepressibly alive. The world fucking made sense again. Stepping back into 1984 was like stepping into your favorite shoes. Food tasted better. The sun shone warmer. Hell, even going to school was a joy. He'd put on his backpack, taken the bike, driven out. And there – there were the guys. Bobby. Dutch. Jimmy. _Tommy._ He couldn't help himself, he gave Tommy a big fucking hug, and he laughed, and he was young and golden and alive. In the hallways of the school, the girls told him "Hey, Johnny!". He vaguely remembered their names and faces. Jessica. Heather. Kimberly. Had they really been this flirty? Had he really been that unaware? Well, honestly, at the time, he'd had such a bad case of Ali-on-the-brain there's a very real chance Tawny Kitaen and Lita Ford could have played Twister on the sidewalk wearing fur bikinis and he'd still cross the street to get to Ali. Ah, young love.

Well. He was all the way over Ali now, LaRusso could have her. Jesus, he'd do it right this time. He'd finally get a chance to do it _right_. Man, he was going to get so. Much. Pussy.

"Something wrong, Johnny?" Dutch asked when they were sitting on the lawn at recess. "You're quiet."

"Just enjoying life, my man," Johnny said, breathed in and let the sun warm his face. Even the air smelled good.

"Man I can't wait for tonight. Skeleton crew!"

"Skeleton crew," the guys said in unison.

"Think Danielle is going to show?" Bobby asked.

"Huh? Danielle?" Johnny couldn't remember a Danielle. Probably some other babe he'd been too Alimatized to notice. He wouldn't make that mistake twice.

"LaRusso," Bobby said, helpfully. "you're the one who told us to call him Danielle."

"Oh, uh, yeah." Johnny felt stupid.

"Cause he looks like a chick."

"Okay, okay." Johnny felt a little uncomfortable. His Cobra kids would probably be on his ass for misgendering, or whatever. Why did he even know that was a word? They'd turned him soft. Come to Cobra Kai, major in karate and minor in gender studies. He needed to get his act together. This was how it was supposed to be. Just harmless banter among guys, no PC police out to ruin the fun.

"And he's got those DSL, right, Johnny."

"Honestly, if it was dark enough..." Dutch said and the guys laughed.

Johnny cringed. He'd forgotten how they used to talk about LaRusso. In hindsight, it was actually pretty fucking weird, and it made him feel uncomfortable. Better shut it down. "I don't care about LaRusso." 

There was a silence. "But... he's moving on your girl. He's an asshole. And a fag."

That didn't even make sense. "She's not my girl anymore," Johnny said. "she dumped me, remember?"

"So? You're gonna let her? What happened to it's not over til you say it's over?"

Had he really said that? A weird, hot feeling flushed through him. He probably had. It hadn't seemed like a big deal at the time. Sounded kind of... rapey now. He took a long pull of his coke, looked out into the distance. 

After school he rode back home to get ready for the party. Sid tried to rile him during dinner, but he was too preoccupied to really listen. He'd got everything he ever wanted. He was back in 1984, he was back at his peak. Was he seriously going to be stuck with some stupid modern ass sense of guilt and weirdness about just being a normal guy? Come on. Lying in his bed, looking up at the ceiling, he kept thinking. Maybe he wasn't dead, and maybe this wasn't heaven. He just didn't feel dead. During English, he'd got a papercut. Why would you get papercuts in the afterlife? Why would your pig of a stepdad call you a useless idiot and fondle your mom's ass in heaven? Didn't make any fucking sense. 

Maybe, crazy as it was, he was back here for a reason. Maybe he was back here to fix his life. Maybe if he wasn't such a shithead the second time around, he could have a good fucking life at thirty, forty, fifty. He sighed. Maybe he could save Robby from jail and Miguel from becoming a cripple. Suddenly, he sat up in bed. He blinked. Fuck. He remembered back to his life in the future, and how it had ended. He'd fought those guys in the parking lot, and he'd seen that guy who stomped him in the face, the guy from his hallucination. Then he'd woken up in 1984. But the first time he'd seen the guy, his whole, out of body experience, that was two months away on this timeline, after the All Valley. Maybe that was all the time he had? Could that mean he only had a few weeks to fix things? How?? Robby and Miguel weren't even born yet! He bit his lip. But it hadn't just been the latino guy he'd seen. It had been LaRusso, too. Jesus. How had he never put that together? He'd been so stuck on this idea of it being LaRusso's dad, he'd never even clicked onto the fact it was LaRusso himself he'd seen in the vision. 

What the hell could it mean? Could it mean – could it mean maybe, it wasn't just Johnny? Maybe LaRusso was back here, too? Living with his mom and trying to remember how to work cassette players? The more Johnny thought about it, the more it made sense. Because honestly, Johnny shouldn't have to fix all this shit on his own, and LaRusso was as much to blame for the whole karate riot as he was. Damn, he had to talk to him. And as luck would have it, he knew just where to find him.

*

Johnny was waiting, a paper cup of punch spiked with something stronger in his hand. He was wearing his skeleton outfit, his face painted up in stark black and white. Dutch's girlfriend Jenny had done it for all of them and her hand had lingered softly at the back of his neck when it was his turn. The gym was converted to a dance hall for the night, and the DJ was playing Laura Brannigan. Kids were dancing, talking, laughing. Nobody had a fucking phone. Johnny smiled to look at them. Then a laugh rippled through the room as a kid dressed as a shower made his way through. Johnny perked up. Well, there he was. The little doofus. See, this is how you get yourself bullied.

"Be right back," Johnny told the guys. He hovered a little, waiting until LaRusso was on his own in his stupid, awkward get-up, probably trying to spot Ali, but she was with friends on the other side of the room and he guessed LaRusso's sightline was pretty limited. When he was sure nobody would see him, he quickly walked over, jerked the shower curtain aside and stepped inside, closed it in a quick motion behind his back. 

And there- thin, dark, bright-eyed- was LaRusso. Looking up at him with his mouth open.

He looked- damn. Johnny remembered how he'd cringed earlier when the guys had been joking about him, but thinking about it, hadn't he been the one who had kind of started that whole, Danielle thing, all those weird, jokey, sexual remarks about him? Christ, _had_ it been all jokes? The kid was _beautiful._ Sure, LaRusso was still a handsome guy, when you looked beyond how much of a dick he was, but he'd really been something special, once upon a time. No wonder all the girls flocked to him.

"Hey, what are you doing? Get out of here!" There it was, that fucking arrogant East Coast voice and attitude. 

"Holy shit, you look _good,_ " Johnny blurted out. LaRusso stared. Wrong fucking thing to say. Better start over. He cleared his throat. "I mean, good costume." Great cover, Johnny congratulated himself. "You don't need to be scared of me," he said placatingly. He had, after all, given LaRusso a kind of hard time back in the day, and if his theory was right and LaRusso also was his middle aged self in there he'd probably be pretty nervous at the sight of the young Johnny. Especially standing this close.

"I'm not scared of you," LaRusso said.

"Great. I just want to talk."

"Okay, talk."

"Look, La- look, Daniel. I just need to know. Uh. If. It's just-" If it's just me that's a time traveller from the future stuck in his young self? God, he couldn't say that. "if it's just me, or if it's- or if it's the both of us? You too?" He waved a hand inbetween them. He'd get it, right? If that was the case? Johnny gave him a hard look, which probably looked pretty severe with the skull makeup, and grabbed his elbow. LaRusso flinched. "Daniel?"

"Let go of me, you freak. I don't know what you're talking about."

Johnny's shoulders came down with disappointment. "Yeah, yeah, of course not. I'll get out of your hair, man."

A little awkwardly, Johnny exited LaRusso's stupid costume and stalked off. Well, that settled that. 

He was on his own.


	3. Chapter 3

"It breaks my heart," Jenny told Dutch, leaning her peroxide blonde hair on his shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Johnny. He's been looking at Ali all night."

"He said he's over her. Ancient history."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he's like, obviously not."

Dutch looked over at Johnny, dancing with Heather Tanner. A total babe. But now he looked closer he realized Johnny was looking over her shoulder across the room, at Ali, dancing with that little fag LaRusso. Damn, this was like some Romeo and Juliet shit. It just wasn't right. "I gotta do something," Dutch said, pushed Jenny away. He nodded at the other guys in the skeleton crew, tilted his head at LaRusso, and they nodded back slow. 

*

The girl Johnny was dancing with - Holly? Something? - had long brown hair, teased to perfection, pink lip gloss and was dressed as an angel. She was also chewing gum. With her mouth open. There was a cloying candy smell emanating from her whole face. Johnny had danced with a bunch of chicks already that night, like a real ladies' man. He should be having the time of his life. But it just... felt weird, though. It felt... it felt like he was dancing with the kids at the dojo. Tory, or Aisha, or someone. Like he was going to be put on some kind of watchlist, like some weird fucking internet guy. Also his eyes kept finding LaRusso, dancing with Ali across the room. Some times LaRusso would look back. Some times Johnny would look away, or LaRusso would, and some times the gaze would linger, LaRusso looking back and Johnny willing him to give him a sign of some sort. Could he really be stuck here all alone in 1984? Even though LaRusso had been in the vision too? Maybe he just hadn't made himself clear enough, maybe LaRusso needed him to be a little more obvious. He could be pretty slow, after all. 

"Are you like even listening to what I'm saying?" the girl - Harper? - asked, inbetween smacks from her gum.

"Yeah sure uh," Johnny said. 

"Well what did I just say?"

"Umm—" He thought, then a noise got his attention, the noise of an argument, and he saw LaRusso in his stupid getup, being circled by the guys. Oh, no. Then LaRusso kicked Dutch in the balls. Oh, _no._

"Excuse me," Johnny said, put both hands on the girl's upper arms and kind of lifted her out of the way, when he saw LaRusso make a run for it and the guys follow him. He made his way through the crowd as best as he could, ran for it to catch up with them. He saw LaRusso get pulled down from the fence he started climbing, get slammed into it, then Bobby and Jimmy held him while Dutch got some good kicks in. "Stop, hold on," Johnny said.

"You're just in time," Dutch said. "we got him warmed up for you.

LaRusso's whole body had gone limp, his legs collapsing weirdly under him as he was held up by the guys, his face bleeding. Then the fence bent as LaRusso's sensei quickly climbed and jumped down from it, and he quickly dispatched of Jimmy and Bobby. Oh, shit. Dutch went for the old man and got roundhoused.

"Hey, stop it, okay," Johnny said, stepped in front of Dutch and then the ground went away. 

*

Just the previous day, Johnny had been ecstatic to wake up in 1984. The second day, it didn't feel so amazing anymore. He'd landed badly the day before, during the scuffle, felt it in his ribs. At least he hadn't been as been as messed up as the last time this happened, as he hadn't actually been stupid enough to try to beat the old man. He went to school, and LaRusso wasn't in. Jesus, had the guys really hurt him? Shit. Well, he was pretty sure he knew how to find him. He remembered a lot about that year, and he certainly remembered the aftermath of the Halloween party. Which was why he found himself in front of the Cobra Kai dojo, swallowing down hard, his bag with his gi and towel over his shoulder. 

"Mr Lawrence," Kreese greeted him. Young, hale, strong-looking. How he would forever appear in his memory, even now he knew what he looked like as an old, sad man. Johnny nodded back a little tentatively. He really enjoyed the class though. Taking the other students through warm-up, being given that vote of confidence, even knowing what an asshole Kreese was, he could still feel the old glow of pride. More than anything, he realized, it was _this_ that sowed the seed that led to him becoming a sensei himself. Huh. If only he'd known. He'd never in a million years have thought he'd be a teacher. He thought he'd be an action star, he wanted to do movies. Either that or become a champion, a pro athlete. Big dreams. All the time a smaller dream which was also pretty cool and actually in reach was just staring him in the face.

Suddenly whispers broke out and he turned and saw LaRusso and his sensei there. LaRusso looked pretty beat up. That didn't feel great. 

"What is the matter, mr Lawrence?" Kreese asked, well kind of shouted in his ear really, jerking his attention away from LaRusso.

"Um," Johnny said. 

"That's LaRusso and the guy who attacked us," Bobby whispered, leaning in.

And then it escalated in its familiar way. Sensei Miyagi and Kreese argued themselves into pitting LaRusso and Johnny against each other in the All Valley Tournament, on the condition the Cobra Kais leave Daniel the hell alone. Well, so far, he hadn't done a whole lot to change the course of his life, Johnny thought, and wondered if he should volunteer a truce without actually fighting the kid. Then the words died in his mouth. Holy _shit._

"What do you say, mr Lawrence?"

"Yes sensei!"

Johnny had straight up had an epiphany. The All Valley Tournament. That's where it all went bad, in his life. If he could only win, this time around. That was it! That was why he'd been sent back! God, it was suddenly all so obvious. He had to win the fucking tournament! LaRusso would be fine either way, he was a damn car salesman, he would maybe have to come up with a different gimmick for his ads, but he was actually good at real life. Good at being a husband, good at being a son, good at being a dad. Good at making money. Johnny had only ever been good at karate. He needed this to turn his fortunes around.

This time, he was going to beat LaRusso, And this time, he'd do it right. He'd do it his way. He'd do it with honor. And he was going to start immediately.

*

Johnny was hanging around during recess, on his own. He'd managed to ditch the guys. He needed to talk to LaRusso, and he needed to do it without his posse of aggressive teenage idiots to escalate matters. He saw Ali, and she scowled at him. He sighed. They'd had two sweet years together. His first real love. And now she hated his guts, and he deserved it. Well, he wasn't out here for Ali, but he knew who else would be looking for her, and then he saw him, walking briskly through the yard. He turned on his heel and walked to meet him.

"Hey, LaRusso. A minute."

"You're supposed to leave me alone, remember? Until the tournament?" LaRusso tried walking around him, like he was a tree.

"Stop, you little yoyo." He grabbed LaRusso's arm, yanked him over to a more private spot. He glanced behind himself and Ali stared at them with a concerned expression, but didn't look like she was going to come over and intervene. Good.

"Let go of me, you great ape!"

"I just want to apologize," Johnny said. "I also want to say all that stuff that went down after the party wasn't my fault."

LaRusso tried getting his wrist out of Johnny's grip. "Yeah, that's real rich."

"I tried stopping them!"

"You did an awesome job. Just one black eye, instead of two."

"God, you're so fucking annoying! Will you just let me apologize? I'm not interested in being, like, enemies, man."

LaRusso stared. "Since when? You threw my lunch out of the window on Monday."

Johnny cringed. "I'm sorry about that. Really." LaRusso had stopped struggling so he let go of his hand but he didn't run off on his brown Betty Spaghetti legs, he tilted his head curiously. "And I'm sorry about what went down after the party, even though it wasn't my fault, and I'm sorry I've been such a creep to you, my bad on that, and I'm sorry I kicked your ass on the beach that time. I mean, you did sucker punch me, as far as I remember-"

LaRusso's mouth fell open, and he was clearly taking full offense. Johnny winced. What were the kids always saying? A bad apology was worse than no apology. Usually when a celebrity on the internet said they liked a sexist brand of mayo on their fries or whatever.

"Not- not that it matters, I was wrong. Ali didn't want to hear it and I should have, uh," he racked his mind for a Miguel-ism. "respected her space and her uh autonomy as a woman. Not a female, see, I know that's offensive. Not sure why. But I know."

"What are you talking about?"

"Not sure," Johnny admitted. "but I'm telling you, it's over. It's done. Just because we're both doing the tournament doesn't mean we have to hate each other."

"I don't get you," LaRusso said, shaking his head. "you're weird, man."

"Maybe, whatever, I don't care. But see that trashcan?" Johnny nodded. Daniel turned to look at it. "The fact you're not stuffed into it right now and wearing the lid as a hat should be a pretty good indicator I'm a changed guy. So can we just- truce? For real?" He stuck out a hand, and LaRusso eyed it suspiciously.

"What about Ali?"

"God, what about her? It's over, it sucks, life goes on. Just make her happy, man. She deserves it."

There was a beat, and then, tentative and small, LaRusso's hand was in his. Johnny squeezed when he pumped it, just to see the wince on his face. He couldn't resist.


	4. Chapter 4

The first day back in 1984, Johnny had loved being back in school. By the third day, he was over it. On the eleventh day, he was counting the days until he was back in good old 2019 about to be face-stomped by a 200 lb Mexican. God, what a fucking drag. He was currently in English class, trying to stay awake, absently scribbling in his notebook. His notes said, 1984 – 2019, DANIEL, TORNAMENT (sic), NO CHEATING!! (TELL BOBBY), SUCCESS with a ring around it, and then DANIEL again, but with thicker and more elaborate letters. And then, just for variety, LARUSSO.

He'd been back in 1984 for more than a week, and he wished he was enjoying it more. But it just wasn't the same. Hanging out with the guys wasn't the same. Going with chicks definitely was not the same. So he just focussed on training. If he wasn't at school, he was in the dojo. He knew what his objective was now and he was going to crush it. For Robby. For Miguel. For his future self.

"So today we will be discussing a very famous poem. It's by Robert Frost, it's called _The Road Not Taken_ , and you can find it on page 223. Miss Barker, why don't you read out the first two stanzas," ms Jones, the English teacher, told a student, and she started reciting the poem in a clear voice. Johnny sighed, started sketching a shuriken.

"Very nice, miss Barker. Now, the last two stanzas, please, mister LaRusso."

Johnny looked over at LaRusso as he looked down into his book, hunched over. He read in a quiet, shy voice. Poetry always made guys feel stupid. He was glad the teacher hadn't picked on him.

"And both that morning equally lay  
In leaves no step had trodden black  
Oh, I kept the first for another day  
Yet knowing how way leads on to way  
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh  
Somewhere ages and ages hence  
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I  
I took the one less traveled by  
And that has made all the difference."

"Thank you, mr LaRusso. Mr Lawrence!"

Johnny jumped in his seat, turned to look at the teacher. "Uh, yeah?"

"You looked quite enthralled by that reading. Mind giving us your take?"

"My what?"

"What do you think the poem is about?"

Johnny shrugged. "Dunno. Traffic."

There was a ripple of laughter, and the teacher sighed. Johnny squinted. What, that broad and these kids thought he was some kind of moron?

"I mean, I think I get it."

"Enlighten us."

"Like, in life, you can kind of only walk one path, you know? Like you can maybe cross it, or whatever, but if you've made your choice then you just have to live with it. Like, you can't change the past. Even if you really want to. And you can't know- you can't know all the lives you could have led. So I guess the guy in the poem, he sees these two roads, and he realizes just how important that his choice actually is, like maybe he can choose to be a dick or maybe he can choose to be someone with honor. And maybe the dick road is easier, but he realizes that down the line the choices he makes are what's going to make him as a man. And then when he's an old guy he can actually assess if he did the right thing. But you don't know, and there are no do-overs." Johnny shrugged. "Not for most people, anyway."

"Very eloquent, mister Lawrence! Some of the language you might want to keep out of an exam paper, but you impress me."

"Thanks," Johnny said. Bored, he went back to sketching, and then he looked over at LaRusso again. This time, LaRusso was looking at him. And he smiled a very small smile. God. He looked _so_ good. He was going to have to rib him for it, when he was back in the future. Not in that creepy Danielle way. Some other way. He'd think of something.

"Now I'd like you all to partner up..."

Johnny rolled his eyes. He usually partnered with Bobby, who was off sick today (partly Johnny's fault, he was going hard in the dojo these days), and he turned to where Tommy and Jimmy were sitting. They'd have to threesome it. 

"I don't have a partner." 

Johnny looked up, and LaRusso was standing at his desk, book in hand and nervous expression on his face. Behind him, Tommy and Jimmy started spluttering with laughter.

"Me neither. Let's go. Your desk." He didn't feel like dealing with those two.

He felt all eyes on them in class as they walked over together to sit. But really, who cared what those kids thought? If anything he was setting a good example.

"I liked what you said, there," LaRusso said, not quite meeting his eye. "you've done some thinking, huh?"

"You have no idea."

They started out talking about the assignment and the stupid poem, but then - inevitably - it turned to karate. LaRusso seemed impressed - maybe a little intimidated - by his previous wins, and he talked about his own training in a slightly jokey way. Apparently the old man had just had him doing chores at first.

"What, to like, haze you?" Johnny asked, confused.

"No, not to- geeze. It's all about the movements. You learn movements and then you use them in like, a different way. Because just practicing a movement over and over is kind of lame and pointless and you could maybe hurt yourself if you go all in, but like, waxing or sanding or whatever, it's like real work, you see results when you do it a certain way, you learn a rhythm, you get real resistance..."

"Huh"

"Like, he teaches you stuff and you don't even know you're learning it. He's an awesome teacher."

"Yeah, I guess."

"How do you like your sensei?"

Johnny sighed. "He has his good sides and his bad sides, like most people."

"He seems kinda scary."

"He was in Nam," Johnny said. "ex-soldier."

"Huh," LaRusso said. "so was my dad."

Suddenly the bell rang, and LaRusso started stuffing his books into his bag. 

"We could practice," Johnny said, and LaRusso almost froze, stared at him with his big taxidermy deer eyes. "I'm serious. Just you and me. I'd go easy on you."

"I don't know," LaRusso said. "I'm pretty busy. I'm at mr Miyagi's house all day, training for the tournament."

"What do you do all night?"

LaRusso's heavy bottom lip caught inbetween his teeth, and he shrugged. "Nothing."

"Know where Willis' Tree is?"

"Down by the reservoir? Yeah, I know it."

"I'll be there at ten," Johnny said.

"This isn't like... am I gonna be murdered?"

"Nah. You might get your ass kicked, but that's it." Johnny flashed him a smile. "I'll give you a free shot."

*

Johnny honestly hadn't been sure LaRusso would show, but he'd driven out on his bike to the spot anyway, smoked a joint and listened to a Metallica cassette, looking out at the water. He took a drag, held, sighed it out. It wasn't him that got old, man, it was the rest of the world that started spinning too god damn fast. With all the technologies and the shitty news and the idiot politicians. Who could keep up with it all? Who would even _want_ to? Then something nudged him, and he jumped, then looked up at LaRusso, took his headphones off.

"Hey, you made it."

"Hey uh, sorry I'm late. My bike got a flat so I had to walk out."

"You walked out?"

"Yeah, I only live about twenty minutes from here, up in Reseda."

"Want a hit?" Johnny offered him the joint.

"Uh.. no, no thanks, man."

Johnny shrugged, expertly twisted off the smoldering end and put it back in his jeans. He shrugged off his red leather jacket, folded it up and put it on the seat of his bike with his walkman. "Let's go."

Johnny knew he could pretty handily beat this Daniel LaRusso, but the contours of the fighter he was going to become were beginning to show, as they lightly sparred, feeling each other out. He had instincts, was starting to know how to reign in that wiry energy and frenetic footwork, use it to actual effect. He got in a hit, right in Johnny's chest.

"Told you I'd give you a freebie."

"What? Yeah, whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep."

God, that fucking attitude. Time to put him in his place and bring him down like a house of cards. Johnny charged with a battle cry, kicked out with long legs, but suddenly LaRusso was like smoke, flitting around him like a damn mosquito. Then he slid down, caught Johnny's foot with the inside of his leg and he was so surprised by the move he just lost his balance and fell face first onto the sand.

"What the fuck?" Johnny spluttered, started to get up but then LaRusso _straddled his back_ , held him down with his weight, what little there was of it, leaned down to tell him right in his ear,

"Now we're even."

Then he rolled off him, got up, reached out a hand. 

Johnny took it.

Then he yanked it, and LaRusso stumbled and fell, and then they were both on the sand, panting, and LaRusso started laughing first, and then Johnny joined in, and then they couldn't stop.


	5. Chapter 5

Johnny woke up.

Johnny felt good.

Johnny felt fucking amazing.

He smiled, jumped out of bed. Humming, he got dressed, checked himself out in the mirror, smiled at his reflection. He had been a good looking guy, once upon a time. He ran his fingers through his hair, shot himself finger guns while nodding approvingly and went downstairs. The radio was on, and he turned it up. Ratt? Awesome.

"Morning, Johnny," his mom told him and he grabbed her, started dancing with her to the song, spun her around. She laughed a delighted laugh and Johnny grinned. "you're in a good mood!"

"Life is good," Johnny said. 

It was. It truly was. When it had passed midnight LaRusso had started getting antsy about getting home, didn't want his mom to worry too much, and Johnny had offered to drive him. LaRusso had caught the helmet but looked at it kind of cluelessly, so Johnny walked over, put it on him and fastened the chinstrap with nimble fingers, LaRusso looking at him with huge eyes all the while. Then Johnny had got on and LaRusso had got on in back, thin arms tight around him, for the short trip up to Reseda. Outside of Daniel's building, he'd taken the helmet off and passed it to Johnny, and their fingers had brushed and LaRusso had looked happy and nervous and shy, running a hand through his flattened-down hair. "What are you doing tomorrow?" Johnny had asked. 

So he was seeing LaRusso again tonight. And he was pretty damn happy about it.

He wasn't sure why, exactly. Their relationship in the future, in the real world, was pretty hot and cold at best. Some times he really felt like he'd found a good friend, someone who got him, other times the guy would fly off the handle and act like such a vindictive, petty little ass he truly did not know why he bothered. But for better or for worse he and LaRusso were pretty close these days, so that's probably why it felt good hanging out with the teenager version of him. Something comfortingly familiar in a past that had become very alien. 

"I'm guessing Ali realized the errors of her ways," his mom said, grinning.

"Huh? Ali? What's she got to do with anything?"

She tilted her head. "Or... have you met someone new?" She laughed. "Oh honey, you're blushing, I'm sorry."

"No I uh"

"It's okay," she smiled, patted his shoulder. "but when you're good and ready, I'd love to meet her." She walked over to the living room and Johnny got himself a bowl of cereal. Crunching thoughtfully on his breakfast, he walked out in the living room, bowl in hand, saw his mother sipping on a glass.

"Isn't it a little early for that, mom?"

"Oh, hush. When you're older you'll know."

"Yeah, I will," Johnny said. "and I'll know it won't fix a damn thing either. It'll just feel kinda good in the moment."

She turned, gave him a soft look. "I just need a little help to get through the day."

"You're not on the chain gang, mom. You just married an asshole."

"Johnny!"

He looked down. "Sorry. I just... I mean, I don't think the money is worth it, not to me anyway. He doesn't treat you like you deserve. You should have a better man in your life."

"I have you, honey," his mom said.

*

The next week was actually pretty fun. He started hanging out more with LaRusso in school, during the day. Didn't see him much with Ali anymore. Which was kinda interesting. The other Cobras didn't seem to know what to make of it. Dutch had some theory about how Johnny was just putting him at ease like he had some great strategy, and Johnny shrugged along with it. Stopped some of the speculation. Then he was in the dojo, training with Kreese, who was really putting him through the wringer. It was fun, being that strong again. Recovery time practically nil. Then, at night, he'd meet up with LaRusso, they'd practice and hang out and talk about karate. LaRusso told him about kata. Johnny told him about Forced Vengeance, starring Chuck Norris. The days flew by.

"Johnny, phone call for you," his mom told him.

"I'm on my way out."

"Okay honey." She turned back to the receiver. "I'm sorry, Daniel, but he-"

"Woah, woah." Johnny took the receiver from her. "Hey, man."

_"Hey! Um, look, about tonight- my mom has kind of been on my ass about never being home- uh-"_

"Oh. Well, I can see you tomorrow, maybe?"

_"No I- maybe you wanna come over? Have dinner? She said she wants to meet you. She's a real good cook, you'll think you died and went to heaven, I swear."_

Johnny nodded. "Yeah, yeah okay. Sounds good. See you." He hung up.

"New friend?" his mom asked.

"Yeah," Johnny said. Then he walked over, kissed her cheek. "don't wait up."

Lucille LaRusso was a total babe. No other word for it. Well, now he knew where LaRusso got his good looks from. When he was back he was going to have to get LaRusso to introduce him to his mom, see if she still held up. Maybe she needed a younger guy to clean her pipes out.

"How is it, Johnny?" she asked, smiling a gigawatt smile.

"Oh it's delicious, mrs LaRusso," he said. "beautiful _and_ knows how to cook, huh."

She laughed.

"Stop flirting with my mom, okay?" LaRusso said, smiling a little embarrassedly.

"You wish," Johnny said. "I'm gonna be your new dad."

LaRusso groaned and his mom guffawed, piled more food on his plate.

"What's this called, I never had it before," Johnny said.

"Bistecca alla pizzaiola," mrs LaRusso said. "simple food. Beef, potatoes, onions, sliced thin, simmered in tomato sauce. No effort at all. So Johnny, Daniel tells me you do karate too?"

"Yeah," he said. "since I was about 12. Only thing I've ever been good at."

"He's the All Valley champion," LaRusso said, almost sounded proud of that fact.

Mrs LaRusso frowned. "Are you competing this year?"

"Yeah, gonna defend the title."

She looked from one to the other. "You boys are going to fight?"

"Relax, ma, I'll probably get knocked out in the first round."

"No, you won't," Johnny said. "you're good."

"Are there different weight classes?" mrs LaRusso asked.

"Ma!"

When they were done eating mrs LaRusso told LaRusso to show Johnny his room, give her some space to clean up. LaRusso's hand came down to tug at Johnny's, walking in front of him into a very small room, with a single bed against the wall, a poster with different forms of karate kicks tacked to the wall, a Japanese wall scroll. A pile of library books, magazines neat in a holder. A framed photo of some guy in uniform. Johnny sat down on the bed, back against the wall, felt a little awkward.

"Wanna listen to some music?"

"Sure."

"Okay, let's see what we got here..." LaRusso had a boxy cassette holder, with room for about twenty cassettes altogether. He got out a Springsteen tape, Born in the USA, raised an eyebrow. Johnny nodded. He expected the big synthy riff but the tape started on another song. 

_The times are tough now, just getting tougher_  
_This whole world is rough, it's just getting rougher_  
_Cover me, come on baby, cover me._

LaRusso came to sit down next to him, shoulder to shoulder. 

"Your mom is nice," Johnny said, for something to say.

"Yeah, I can tell you think so."

"I'm just joking, Daniel. Stop taking everything so serious."

"Huh"

"You do."

"No, not that. You never call me Daniel." He looked up at him. "I like it."

"Then I'll start."

_This whole world is out there just trying to score_  
_I've seen enough I don't wanna see any more,_  
_Cover me, come on in and cover me._

"The thing you said," LaRusso said, staring down into his lap. "at the Halloween party. Remember that? About. Us. Being. The same."

Johnny frowned. "Yeah?"

"Well, um. You were right, about that."

Relief washed over Johnny. He knew it. It wasn't just him, back to his teenage self, it was LaRusso, too. It was Daniel, too. No wonder it was so easy to hang out with him, when he felt like some kinda senior citizen around the other kids. "Dude!" He laughed, and Daniel stared at him. "Why didn't you say something sooner, you dick?"

"B-because-" Daniel paused, then started laughing too. "I didn't know how, man. You're the first person I've told."

"Well, sure. But geeze. I don't mind telling you, Daniel, it's been a little lonely."

"Yeah, I know what that's like. Well, um." Daniel shifted from where he was sitting on the bed to tucking his knees under himself, holding onto the bedframe behind them, turned towards Johnny. "You don't have to be lonely anymore, Johnny."

Then he leaned in, and gently pressed his lips to Johnny's mouth.


	6. Chapter 6

THREE WEEKS EARLIER, Daniel was lying sideways on a cot in Mr. Miyagi's house. He could hear soft conversation in the background.

"If okay with you, he can sleep it off here. He's very embarrassed, very ashamed. Oh, no problem, mrs LaRusso, no problem at all."

Soft footsteps. 

"Daniel-san, we need to take clothes off."

"I don't think I can move," Daniel whispered.

"It will hurt. Be strong. I'm here."

He sobbed when mr Miyagi helped him up, pulled off his hoodie and T-shirt. Then he gently spread a kind of cream or concoction on his sore ribs, his bruises. When the old man tenderly touched his face to lightly rub it on his black eye and split lip, telling him to "close eyes", Daniel ruined it all by beginning to cry. 

"Okay, Daniel-san. I make you some tea."

Mr Miyagi gave him some space, singing to himself in the kitchen, while Daniel sobbed on the cot. Those assholes. They were going to end up killing him. His life fucking sucked. After a few minutes of crying he felt too empty to go on, and mr Miyagi came back with a big mug.

"Sit up."

"I can't."

"Try."

Daniel did, and somehow he already felt better. Mr Miyagi was some kinda miracle man. He accepted the mug, drank, and it was comforting and sweet and spread all the way down to his toes. 

"You told my mom I got my ass kicked?"

"Ah, I tell her you get drunk. Worry less."

"Thanks," Daniel said. "now will you teach me karate?"

"Daniel-san, it is always the same boys who pick on you, yes?"

"Yeah. The Cobra Kais. From that dojo."

"Tomorrow, we go talk to them. Find solution. Violence not solution. This has to stop. Too far."

"You know, for a moment, I kinda thought it had stopped," Daniel said hoarsely.

"Oh?"

"The... well, kinda the ringleader I guess, he sorta cornered me tonight, came into my costume, can you believe that? Said he just wanted to talk to me? He's the guy that's been giving me a hard time since day one, the others just follow his lead. And he said- man, I can't even understand what he was saying. Something about it being the both of us, he wondered if it was just him, or the both of us."

Mr Miyagi sighed. "Daniel-san. Some times we hate, because of difference. Other times, we hate, because we are the same."

Daniel sipped some more tea. He didn't feel like telling mr Miyagi Johnny Lawrence had also told him he thought he looked good. If it wasn't for that, Daniel would have absolutely no idea what the hell any of that conversation had been about, and he was probably still wrong, but it gave him a bizarre little theory.

_Johnny Lawrence is into you._

It was way too unlikely to be true, but it was the only one he had. Because honestly? If he wasn't such a raging asshole, such a violent prick, such a complete turd brained moron, Daniel would be into Johnny Lawrence. Because, you know. Personality aside, he was hot. And knew karate. And drove a super cool bike. 

_Is it just me? Or is it both of us?_

Wouldn't even be the first time he had a crush on a boy, not that he ever planned on acting on that or telling anyone. That one was staying in the vault forever. The idea of an objective fool like Johnny Lawrence looking right into his soul's most secret passageways was a thought too mortifying to entertain.

But there was a shift, there was a change. The tenuous truce with the Cobra Kais worked, and Daniel had figured they'd just start bullying him like the girls bullied each other, make up shitty rumours, call him Danielle, he'd walk into rooms and everybody would laugh under their breath or go super quiet. None of that happened. Instead Johnny went out of his way to apologize, in probably as eloquent a way as the big lunk was capable of, got the other guys to back off, and he just kept _staring_ at him. Whenever Daniel looked over he met Johnny's eye. It... kinda made the theory check out a little bit. And then, in English class, Johnny talked about a poem in a way that really made Daniel wonder if maybe Johnny's brain cell had finally got a friend in there or something. And it made him curious. And he may be small and weak and hot-tempered and friendless and possibly gay but one thing Daniel LaRusso was not was a coward. So he threw caution to the wind and walked over when the teacher asked them to partner up. 

_And Johnny said yes._

Before he knew it, they were hanging out every day. They ate lunch together. He let him ride on the back of his bike. He kinda forgot all about Ali. Which was probably shitty. His life started orbiting around the twin suns of Johnny and karate and for the first time he could say he actually enjoyed living in California. Mr Miyagi was all calm and centre and taught him stuff he never knew he could do, and he was teaching him how to actually think too, not just go off the handle, and maybe more than think, _reflect_. And Johnny – Johnny. 

Daniel fell in love.

Easy as that.

And the most thrilling, crazy part was, he was pretty sure, he was honestly pretty sure, Johnny liked him back. And Daniel LaRusso was no coward. So when they were sitting next to each other on his bed in his room he leaned over and did what he'd been thinking about doing for days.

He kissed him.

*

About a million thoughts ran through Johnny Lawrence's head at once as Daniel LaRusso kissed him all close-lipped and chaste. Like, this is wrong. This is fucked up. This is gay. This... is kind of hot. When Daniel pulled away he smiled shyly with pink cheeks and his eyes were all heavy-lidded and his large front teeth showed where his lips parted and Johnny's dick told Johnny's brain to go take a hike and he placed his hand at the back of his head, pulled him back in, and while they kissed Daniel moved and maneuvered, a little awkwardly, until he was sitting sideways in Johnny's lap. Daniel's hand slid from Johnny's neck and down to his chest and he pulled away, smiled, his palm still flat against him. Johnny tried controlling his breath.

"Your heart is beating so hard." He really had the temerity to look smug. Johnny had the idea to kiss that stupid expression off his face when there was a knock and he grabbed LaRusso and threw him off him, grabbed his pillow and placed it over his lap, all casual. 

"Hey boys," mrs LaRusso said. "who wants ice cream? Home made."

A trip to the bathroom and a face full of ice cold water later Johnny was sitting on their sofa, next to Daniel, close, his body a long line of heat against his side, eating really damn delicious orange ice cream, watching a video of some Italian singing contest on their tiny TV. Mrs LaRusso was talking about how a distant relative would tape and send them to her, and she'd watch them out over nights to relax when she got home from work. Johnny couldn't understand a thing and it was pretty corny but it was enjoyable, too. And mrs LaRusso got real excited when her favorite, some angry looking dude with a monobrow, won, even though the show was like a year old. That was funny to think about. If it was 2019 she could probably watch it on the internet while it was happening, and here she was, having received a video months after the fact, spacing it out and keeping the excitement and enjoyment for as long as possible, and she wasn't even to know who won unless she called collect to Italy or whatever. Wild.

"Will I see you tomorrow, Johnny?" Daniel asked when it was getting late and time to go home. 

"Yeah," Johnny said. Daniel smiled then, bright and radiant, and he felt all fluttery all over. 

"Then I guess I'll see you then."

"Not if I see you first."

He walked down the stairs of the complex, to where he'd parked his bike, when he heard a voice behind him.

"Johnny! Johnny, just a moment." He turned to see mrs LaRusso with a tupperware box in her hands. "Here, I want you to have the leftovers, since you liked it so much!"

"Oh- oh, thanks, mrs LaRusso."

"And, I just wanted to say-" she was smiling, a big beautiful smile, but her eyes went all shiny and then a tear split her cheek. "I don't know if you know this, but Daniel's had a pretty hard time making friends over here, and some boys in school give him a hard time."

Shame burned in his body like someone had taken a flamethrower to him. "Uh, I know," he said.

"It's just, it's just been really hard. You know, it's just me and Daniel, and I got a chance at a decent paying job over here. I just want him to have a good future. No welfare, no charity. His dad left us nothing."

"You're a tough chick," Johnny said weakly. 

She laughed, wiped her eye. "Yeah, I am! But it's a lot, working, being a mom, and seeing your boy have such an awful time. I'm just so glad he's found you. He's like a brand new kid. Oh, I'm probably embarrassing him even telling you this, but thank you, Johnny."

"Don't thank me," Johnny said. "I'm not doing anybody a favor. Daniel's great. He's gonna make you proud."

"He already does," mrs LaRusso said, shot him a final beaming smile, and then disappeared back inside.

Maybe he was in the best physical condition of his life. But Johnny Lawrence had never felt smaller.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made [a playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ifmhyuGM9W7nTBTtChfXU?si=sy4Y3pYXSra21SZn_T8CdQ) for this fic <3

Johnny kicked out straight, Daniel blocked his leg with a wiry arm. He touched down and kicked out with the other but before he could connect Daniel punched him in the chest.

"Fuck!"

"You never look at what I'm doing," Daniel said. "the reason I can actually avoid you is you telegraph what you're going to do and you never look at me."

"Fuck, fuck, fuck. You're too quick."

"You don't get it," Daniel said, frustrated. "it's not about being quick, it's about anticipation. Reading your opponent. Come on, let's go again."

"No, I'm done training for the day."

Kreese had been on his ass for three whole hours that day, just yelling in his fucking face and making him attack like one of those roided up dogs drug dealers like. Tired and wired he'd gone by mr Miyagi's house to pick up Daniel and Daniel hadn't been waiting outside like they agreed but the gate was open so he'd tentatively gone inside, seen Miyagi and Daniel do kata, synchronized and precise, and he felt kinda fucking depressed. Why did his karate father figure have to be such a dick? Why couldn't they do stupid shit like that too, not just rage out? Then Daniel saw him and smiled brightly, broke the flow.

"Johnny!"

"Hey, uh, am I early?"

"We lose track of time," mr Miyagi said. "hello."

"Yeah, so, mr Miyagi, this is Johnny."

"I think we already met."

Johnny flushed a little. "Yeah, good kick, man."

"Better to greet with hands than feet," Miyagi said with a twinkle in his eye, stuck a small hand out and Johnny shook it. Daniel was right. The guy was fucking cool.

Daniel took him on a trip around the garden, showed him the koi pond, the rock garden, the little paths, talked about Japanese gardening, then he took him inside, showed him the bonsai trees, his hand reaching down to tug at Johnny's every time he wanted to show him something else. The love and admiration he had for the old man was palpable and Johnny felt so grateful to mr Miyagi in that moment, for taking in that bullied kid and teaching him how to be a man, for being that safe and wise adult every kid deserved. Then he thought about Miguel, in a coma with a broken back. How had he fucked up so bad? Maybe if he'd had a role model like mr Miyagi maybe he could have taught the kid some of that balance Daniel was always going on about.

So yeah, he was kind of not in the mood when he and Daniel drove out to the beach to practice. Karate was the last thing he wanted to do.

What he would like to do, quite frankly, and possibly (probably) ill-advisedly, was to kiss Daniel again. 

Fuck, he looked good, in his sleeveless top, his arms long and tan, his eyes warm and brown and kinda knowing, kinda, _you and me have a secret_ and he guessed they did. 

"Let's do something else," Johnny said. 

"Okay. What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know. You choose?"

Daniel raised an eyebrow.

So that's how they found themselves at Golf n' Stuff. Man, Johnny hadn't been there in years. But it was actually super fun. They hit up the arcades, played the shoot 'em ups and the fighting games. They did the crazy golf (Johnny lost spectacularly, he kept hitting the stupid little ball too hard and Daniel would double over laughing every time it ended up six feet from where it was supposed to), the dodgems, and played a few games at the stalls – Johnny won big at one of them and they went over to the prize tent, and he asked Daniel to pick something out. A little later they were walking along and chasing the last pieces of caramel popcorn out of a paper box, a stuffed Snoopy toy under Daniel's arm. 

"Oh, oh," Daniel said, excited. "let's go in there."

Johnny looked over at the Photomax booth. "Um..."

"There's nobody around, come on, quick."

Johnny sighed, followed him as he flitted inside, yanked the curtain closed. If anyone from school saw them coming out of this thing, he'd definitely never live it down. It was a tight squeeze and Daniel climbed in his lap, put an arm around his neck, looked down on him with a big grin. "Ready?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Daniel put in a quarter and hit the button. 

They smiled big cheesy smiles. FLASH.

Daniel leaned his head to Johnny's. FLASH.

They turned to look at each other. FLASH.

Daniel kissed him. FLASH.

Johnny looked around nervously while they waited for it to develop. Daniel grinned at the photos when they came out, then ripped the strip in half, handed one of them to Johnny. "Okay if I keep the second half?"

Johnny quietly put the first half in his wallet.

*

It was sweet. All of it. Daniel in the crook of his arm at the drive-in, watching Rocky 3 (so awesome). Daniel patiently trying to teach him kata to very mixed results. Daniel on the back of his bike, holding on to him as they drove out on new adventures. Making out whenever they could find a place private enough, Daniel straddling his lap and falling into him, making needy little sounds, his mouth warm and eager and yielding. 

Oddly, Johnny found himself thinking about the Daniel he knew as an adult a lot. Those feelings were weird and complicated and made him profoundly sad some times. This little romance could never go any further than this, a few stolen moments inbetween school and training. Even if Daniel wasn't happily married, Johnny was just never going to be on his level. If Daniel actually was in the market for a guy, it'd probably be some total dick with square glasses who owned an art gallery and two tiny, yappy dogs. It was weird they were even friends. Or whatever the fuck they were. 

But then again. If Johnny did win the tournament. Who knew what could happen then?

*

"Hey, man," Bobby told Johnny, catching up to him after another interminable training session at Cobra Kai.

"Hey, dude," Johnny said, not being able to resist mussing up that mullet with his knuckles, Bobby drawing away, laughing, fixing it. Well, he better enjoy it while he could. 

"Party at Melissa Lopez' place tonight. You coming?"

"Nah," Johnny said. "gotta focus on the tournament."

"All you do is train, Johnny. You gotta unwind, too."

"I'll unwind after I win."

There was a pause. "I mean, you could bring LaRusso."

Johnny frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I dunno. You guys seem pretty tight now. Dutch had a theory you were trying to get into his head, some Art of War shit? But I mean, if you guys are friends or whatever now, bring the dude. If you don't have a problem with him, neither do I."

Johnny looked at him. "All the guys feel like that?"

Bobby looked down, smiled a little awkwardly. "They'll change their mind, if you talk to them. Show them who's the man, right, Johnny?"

"Look, Bobby, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about. At the tournament-"

Bobby sighed. "You and that tournament-"

"Hear me out. I want you to promise me to fight with honor, right?"

"Of course, Johnny."

"Promise me. Because you're one of the strongest fighters in the dojo, Bobby, easy. No short cuts, no dick behavior, just really fucking top level karate, right?"

"Sure, Johnny."

There was a honking noise and Daniel LaRusso pulled up in a gorgeous, classic yellow Ford. 

"Nice wheels, LaRusso!" Bobby said.

"Thanks," Daniel told him, grinning. "hey, Johnny, you going my way?"

"Yeah," Johnny said, got in. "see you, Bobby."

"See you," Bobby said, looked at them both with an unreadable expression.

"Whose car is this? It's beautiful," Johnny said, impressed, ran his hand over the leather seats.

"It's mine," Daniel said happily. "mr Miyagi gave it to me."

"What?"

"Yeah, I turned eighteen today."

"What? Happy birthday! You should have told me, I could have got you something. Maybe not something this good, but..."

"It's okay, don't worry about it."

"So where are we going?"

"Wherever we want, man. Full tank," Daniel said, beaming. 

"Your birthday, huh?" Johnny said.

"Uh huh."

Johnny fiddled with the radio, seaching through the stations until he found a rock station. Crüe. Cool. "I know a place."


	8. Chapter 8

"The place" was a couple of miles out of town, close to the property of a former boyfriend of Johnny's mom and undiscovered by the rest of the horny teenager population. It was Johnny's most failsafe parking spot. And now he was there with Daniel. They were making out in the back of Daniel's new car, pretty roomy, not bad, and Daniel was on his back on the seats, Johnny's leather jacket folded up and bunched under his head. 

They hadn't really done much yet, some dry humping aside, not that Johnny hadn't thought about it (honestly it was a daily struggle to try and focus on his training and the tournament when he saw Daniel every day with that mouth and those eyes and those long limbs and jesus christ), but hey, Johnny hadn't got him anything for his birthday and he knew what he liked to get for his.

"Johnny," Daniel gasped.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me something. Now I'm eighteen."

"Yeah?"

"What's it feel like being with an older man?"

"Oh god, shut _up_ ," Johnny cringed against his skinny chest and Daniel laughed. Johnny sat up on his haunches, grabbed the end of his black T-shirt. "want me to take this off?"

The smile faded on Daniel's face and he nodded. Johnny pulled it off, let Daniel admire him for a few moments before he laid back down on top of him and when he did Daniel's hands came up to stroke at his arms and his back. He caught Daniel's bottom lip between his own, for another long and hot and sultry kiss. Daniel gasped when he pulled away.

"I can, um, too." He put a hand on Johnny's chest to push him away, sat up enough to pull his shirt off. He was thin and tan and had small, brown nipples and a dusting of chocolate drop moles and Johnny started slowly unzipping his jeans, gave him enough time to stop him if he wanted, but he didn't say anything, just let Johnny undress him until he was naked there in the backseat. 

"You're beautiful, LaRusso," he told him.

"Um. You too, Johnny."

"Scoot up a little."

Johnny leaned down to kiss his mouth again, and then his neck, Daniel's arms coming up tight around him, his chest, his stomach, wet and sucking kisses all the way down until he was eye level with Daniel's dick. Well. He hadn't exactly been on this side of the table before, so to speak, but he knew what he liked. So he started slow, used his tongue to make it wet, before taking it all in his mouth, hollowing his cheeks and started to build a steady rhythm. A little over him Daniel was punching out these high little gasps and then he made a choked sound and came and Johnny swallowed in surprise before he had even worked out what had happened, then pulled off.

"Daniel, you're supposed to give some kinda warning."

"Sorry!" He covered his red face with both hands and Johnny laughed.

"It's your birthday. You get one freebie."

Daniel groaned. 

Johnny rested his head against Daniel's bare stomach, let it rise and fall with his breath. He was warm and he smelled good, and he slung his thin legs over Johnny's back. His hand finally unclamped from his face and came down to pet and stroke at Johnny's hair. It was perfect. It was only a moment in time but Johnny was going to make it last for as long as he could.

"You're getting abs," Johnny told him. 

"Heh, yeah. I'll look like you any day now."

"If you're serious about that, you gotta lift. Karate isn't enough."

"Ugh," Daniel said. "no thanks. Hey, move, I wanna try something else."

"Jesus, already?"

Daniel laughed. "Just move."

Reluctantly, Johnny sat up, let Daniel disentangle his long limbs from him. Then he grabbed Johnny's red leather jacket. "Can I try it on?"

"Sure."

He drowned in it, but he looked pleased with himself. Then he put his hand in one of the pockets, pulled out Johnny's black headband too, tied it around his head.

"Ayy, I'm Johnny Lawrence, give me your lunch money."

"That sounds literally nothing like me. Sounds like Jimmy Cagney."

Daniel laughed. "Ayy. I'm a big tough guy, look at me. I'll still go down on my boyfriend though."

"You know it, baby."

Daniel looked on him so fondly then, with warm brown eyes and a tender smile, Johnny didn't even know what to say. Then he found his own blue and white lotus hachimaki where he'd put it over the backseat backs, straddled Johnny's lap, and gently tied it around his head, stroked Johnny's bangs over it with gentle fingers.

"How do I look?" Johnny asked.

"Mm. Passable," Daniel said, grinned big, then leaned in for another kiss. Johnny let his hands stroke down his back and down to his ass. 

"You know, um, Johnny?"

"Yeah?"

"We could go all the way. If you wanted to."

Johnny stared. "Oh. Oh, yeah. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you." He punctuated each 'thank you' with a hard kiss to Daniel's mouth and Daniel laughed, arms around Johnny's neck. Johnny reached down to undo his zip, just enough to free his erection, as just the thought of being allowed to bury himself in Daniel's tight ass, in that beautiful body, was enough to make him threaten to rip through denim. Through concrete, possibly. Fuck, he was going to make him feel so good. Daniel LaRusso was about to see the face of God. "Did you uh, did you bring stuff?"

"Stuff?"

"Condoms, lube."

"What's lube?"

Johnny pulled away from Daniel's neck and stared with what was probably a pretty rigid smile on his face. Jesus christ, what was he doing. What was he _doing_. 

This was Daniel LaRusso, but it wasn't the Daniel LaRusso he knew, the one who could kick his ass, the one who could save his ass, the one who had more than thirty years of weight and baggage to throw around over Johnny. It was a titanic struggle, but Johnny's brain wrestled the steering wheel away from Johnny's dick, and he cleared his throat.

"Um, on second thought, maybe we should wait until after the tournament, you know, uh, keep our focus."

"Really? Yeah, maybe that's a good idea," Daniel said. "we can celebrate your win. Make it real special."

"Looking to lose, are you?"

"No," Daniel said. "but I've been thinking, and I'm not gonna compete."

"What??"

Daniel shrugged. "The tournament was just a way to get you guys off my case. I never stood a chance. And well, things have changed, haven't they, Johnny?"

"No, you have to fight - what - what about all your training?"

"I don't train to win, I train because I like it."

"Well- won't mr Miyagi be disappointed?"

"No, he doesn't care about tournaments or prizes. And neither do I."

"But you have to. That was the condition of the truce with Cobra Kai. Uh, I mean, what about the other guys. They'll go after you."

"Then I'll be able to defend myself. Or maybe I can get my big handsome _boyfriend_ to protect me."

"Daniel, I'm fucking serious. You have to do the tournament."

The smile fell off Daniel's face. "Why?"

"We need to fight. You and me."

"But I don't want to fight you."

"But it's important!"

"Why?" Daniel asked again, looked confused.

"So we know who's best!"

Daniel frowned. "You are. You're the champion."

"That why you keep getting points over me when we train?"

"Calm down, okay? You're acting weird. Is this about when I kicked you in the face? I said I was sorry."

No, Johnny thought. It's about changing the course of my life. What was he playing at? His job was to win the tournament, defeat Daniel LaRusso, right old wrongs, save Miguel from his accident and Robby from prison. The way he was going right now, Robby didn't even stand a shot at being born. He'd always been a shitty dad but literally erasing your son from existence because you decided you have a thing for some guy you went to high school with, that had to hold some kind of world record in the Shitty Dad Olympics. Not to mention Daniel's kids. Sam, good kid, she deserved a chance. And the other one. The little one with the smart mouth. Actually, he wouldn't be such a great loss, but the point still stood. He pushed Daniel away, pulled the lotus hachimaki off his head.

"Take that off."

Daniel looked a little worried but took off Johnny's things, sat naked and skinny in the backseat, and Johnny zipped his pants up, pulled his T-shirt back on, grabbed his jacket and headband. 

"If you don't do this, LaRusso, the truce is off. And so is all of this."

"Are you serious right now?"

"Try me," Johnny said, got out of the car and got in front, started driving back to town while Daniel dressed quietly in back.


	9. Chapter 9

"Phonecall for you, honey."

"Who is it?"

"It's your friend Daniel. Again."

"I'm still not in."

"He sounds upset. I'm sure whatever it is-"

"I'm still not in," Johnny told his mom, and closed his eyes hard.

*

On Monday, Johnny walked into the cafeteria with his tray. Daniel walked over, smiled at him a little tentatively. He looked unsure and nervous and so fucking pretty. "Hey, you're not dead."

"Leave it, LaRusso."

"Come on, let's just talk," he said, all reasonable. "you're acting kind of stupid."

Johnny ignored him, walked over to where the guys were sitting. Dutch, Bobby, Jimmy, Tommy. He nodded at them and sat down to eat. 

"Well look at who it is," Dutch said disdainfully. "aren't you supposed to sit with your little girlfriend?"

"Nah."

"Trouble in paradise?"

"Let's just say my little girlfriend got a little handsy," Johnny said. The table erupted in shocked laughter and disgusted noises. Johnny snuck a glance at Daniel, sitting alone with his lunch across the room, the hurt plain on his face. Then he got up abruptly, left the cafeteria. Johnny grit his teeth together. This felt pretty fucking awful. But, he told himself, it wasn't just Johnny, and Robby, and Miguel, who would benefit from Johnny fulfilling his destiny and winning the tournament against Daniel LaRusso. Daniel was gonna be successful, have his own business, a gorgeous, feisty wife, kids. What kind of future would the two of them have together? 

Still. This was not easy.

*

Johnny threw himself into training even harder than before. When he wasn't at Cobra Kai, he was lifting. He let Kreese rile him, bring out the beast. 

"I want you to crane kick me," he told Kreese one day.

Kreese raised an eyebrow. "No way to defend yourself against that one, if done right. I could break your jaw."

"No, but I can maybe evade it."

Kreese nodded approvingly, took a stance in front of him, raised his hands. When Daniel had done it it had been graceful, beautiful, truly evoking the namesake bird. When Kreese did it it was like looking death in the eye. Johnny took a deep breath, tried doing what Daniel had told him. Read your opponent. Anticipate. When Kreese exploded with power, threw his leg up, Johnny threw himself backward, swept his leg out, and Kreese landed on his back. Afterwards he slapped Johnny's back hard enough to leave a bruise, and Johnny knew that was approval.

*

It was hard not to think about Daniel, wonder about what the hell he was doing. Hopefully he was training and preparing too, not sitting in his room and listening to sadsack music. Fact was, Johnny needed to beat Daniel, because he was pretty sure Daniel was the only guy who could beat him, so he needed him to enter. He needed to get through that Miyagi zen somehow. He really didn't want to have to sic the Cobra Kais on him. Dutch had the idea to "jump the little fag" but Johnny had stopped him, saying he'd get his chance in the tournament.

One day, at recess, he saw a chance.

Shelley was one of the "hi Johnny"-girls, the little greek chorus of the high school hallway. She was nothing special but she was pretty enough, had red hair gathered in a scrunchy, a cute smile studded with braces. Johnny was with some of the guys, and Daniel was sitting by himself with a book on the other side of the green, and then Shelley walked by and Johnny grabbed her.

"Oh, Johnny!"

"Hey, Shelley," he said, touched, her back lightly in that way chicks tended to like. Her face flushed and her cute metal smile turned into a helplessly wide grin. "think you could do me a favor?"

"Yeah, sure!"

He leaned in, put his mouth close to her ear, could audibly hear her breathe in and hold it. "Could you laugh like I just said something really funny and then look over your shoulder?"

Shelley went for the Academy Award, threw her head back and laughed, then looked back over her shoulder in Daniel's direction, then looked back, grinned. "How was that?"

Johnny glanced over to see Daniel stalking towards them, slapped her ass. "Perfect. See you later."

"Um- okay, see you, Johnny!"

She'd just got a few feet away when Daniel stepped up. Johnny composed his face into a smug smile. 

"See you at the tournament, Lawrence."

"Can't wait."

"You fucking asshole." There was a wobble in his voice, like he was close to tears.

The guys laughed and hooted at that, and Daniel turned and walked away. Jimmy wolf-whistled him and the other guys cracked up. Johnny was pleased, but the inside of his mouth tasted like ash. 

*

The auditorium smelled like testosterone, sweat, body spray. Johnny's clean, black gi felt crisp against his body. He was fucking ready. This was the moment. This was the day he was going to fix his life. This was the reason he'd been sent back to 1984. And he was going to step the hell up to the plate. He'd already seen Daniel around, with mr Miyagi and his mom. It was all happening. It was all coming together.

"Ready, mr Lawrence?" Kreese asked him.

"Yeah- um, two minutes," Johnny said. The main thing he could do for the future was win the tournament. But there was this one other thing, which he'd been thinking about. He had been putting it off, but he'd run out of time. Now or never. He walked over to the audience, found his mom. She smiled big at him. 

"Move," he told the kid sitting next to her, who skittered off, and he took his seat. Then he took both his mom's hands in his. He felt more nervous about what he was about to say than the tournament, honestly. He swallowed.

"Hey, honey! You ready?"

"Mom, um. There's no easy way to say this, but we need to talk about your tits."

"Johnny!"

"I know you don't get them checked out at like, the titty doctor."

"Johnny, they're called gynecologists and I would really like it if this conversation ended now." She looked around, cheeks pink.

"But I want you to start."

"I think I know my own body better than you do. This is inappropriate."

"I love you," Johnny said. His mom's lips parted a little, and she tilted her head.

"I love you too, Johnny."

"Yeah, cool. And I want us to have as much time together as possible, and I think you want that too. Hey, I might have a kid some day, you know? Maybe you'll be a grandma, and I want you to know him, too, because I have a feeling he's gonna be a real cool kid. Maybe he'll look a little like you, too. Around the eyes."

"Johnny-"

"And maybe, you know, what you need to do is go to the gyno... gist and go in the flat titty machine-" he slapped his palms together demonstratively. His mom reddened a little in the face, but laughed.

"Mammogram, Johnny."

"Yeah, mammogram, and you and I get to have that time."

She looked down. "Is this about your grandma?"

"Yeah," Johnny said. "you can inherit that shit. Why don't you get checked out, mom?"

She shook her head, was silent for a moment, looked out into the middle distance. "Well, maybe I'm just scared of what they'll tell me," she said in a small voice, with a tremulous smile.

"Okay but mom, consider this. If you know your enemy, you can fight him. If you don't, he can sneak up on you and fuck you up." He swallowed. "I'm a fighter, mom. I know I dont' get it from my dad, because that asshole ran away. I gotta get it from somewhere. Maybe you don't think you can, but I _know_ you can fight, too."

His mom's mouth fell open, and Johnny looked over at where Kreese was staring at him. 

"Um, I gotta go. Just- just book an appointment, okay?" He leaned in for a hug.

"When did my little boy become such a man?" she said in a weak voice in his ear.

"Hopefully today," Johnny grinned, squeezed her shoulder, and walked over to Kreese. 

Over the loudspeaker, a voice declared the 1984 All Valley Under 18 Championship to be on. Applause thundered. 

Johnny Lawrence was ready to face his destiny.


	10. Chapter 10

A WEEK EARLIER, Daniel was looking into his lap, pouring his heart out in a quiet voice. He hadn't actually meant to tell Mr Miyagi about him and Johnny. Honestly, he'd never meant to tell anyone. But Johnny was just being such a jerk, and he needed to talk to someone about it, get some help to understand what the hell was going on, and Mr Miyagi was just about the smartest person he knew, and before he knew it he was crying and it probably would have been pretty obvious what was going on even if Daniel hadn't admitted, "I thought we were the same. I thought we were in love."

If Mr Miyagi was shocked or surprised he didn't show it. But his voice went stern. "Daniel-san. This boy, did he take advantage of you?"

"No," Daniel said. "I've been going over and over it, and he really didn't. He was just... nice. Gentle, if you can believe it. Real gentle." To tell the truth Daniel would have been absolutely fine with Johnny Lawrence going ahead and taking advantage in a non-gentle way, but Mr Miyagi didn't need to know every detail.

"Hm. But he wants you to fight."

"Yeah. I don't get it."

"People can be very difficult to understand."

"Tell me about it."

"Maybe he is afraid. Two boys. Being different is hard."

"Maybe," Daniel said. “that’s probably it. He just- I don't know. It just never felt like an issue at all. I mean, we were careful. But like, some of his friends made fun of us at school, when we started hanging out, and he just brushed it off like it was nothing.” Involuntarily, Daniel smiled, remembering how that creepy blond Cobra Kai guy had been obviously mocking them from across the cafeteria, miming sucking a dick, and Daniel had asked Johnny, you okay? expecting him to fly off the handle at them, create a big scene, and instead Johnny had just shrugged wearily, called them morons, and got the listings for the drive-in out of his backpack, told him to pick a movie, and then very unsubtly and adorably started campaigning for Conan the Destroyer.

"Do you want to do the tournament, Daniel-san?"

Daniel breathed in deep. "I don't know?" He admired Mr Miyagi's stance when it came to competitions, and he'd relished in his sensei's quiet approval when he told him he didn't think competing was going to be necessary after all. But that wasn't to say Daniel didn't kind of want to test his skill. He was pretty good. Half the time he was as good as Johnny Lawrence, and Johnny was incredible.

"Daniel-san. Did you want to leave the tournament because no longer need to compete, or because you didn't want to beat Johnny Lawrence?"

Daniel turned red. "Uhh..."

"Hm." The old man looked amused. "I think, tonight, we are going to practice not thinking."

"Not thinking?"

"Hai." 

Turns out 'not thinking' was a kind of meditation called zazen. You had to sit there in lotus position, on a pillow, hands folded in your lap, eyes half-open, back straight, keep the posture, focus on your body, not let any thoughts come in to your mind. They did, of course. Johnny winning him the Snoopy toy. Johnny joking with his mom. Johnny, shirtless and flushed and beautiful, wearing the lotus hachimaki. But as Mr Miyagi kept reminding him in a gentle, soft chant, recognize, accept, let go. Recognize, accept, let go. It was like a little exorcism. 

"Daniel-san! How did you sleep last night?" Mr Miyagi asked him the next day and Daniel was almost amazed to tell him how he'd slept like a rock. Mr Miyagi laughed his braying laugh.

"Best cure for broken heart. No thinking!"

"Well, I feel better, anyway," Daniel said, smiling a little. "but it still sucks. He’s being a real ass. Thank god high school’s almost over."

"Ahh, Daniel-san. How about today, I show you new kick?"

Daniel perked up.

*

In between bouts, Johnny watched as Daniel defeated contestant after contestant. His style had become familiar to him, that quick, flittering, outwardly frenetic but still calculated style, but it was thrilling to watch. After a particularly clever combo he cheered so loud Daniel looked over and they locked eyes, and Johnny tried smiling at him, made a victory fist, but Daniel looked away. Johnny took a deep breath but his chest felt hollow and painful. It was his turn again and he focused, concentrated. The other guy looked terrified. Johnny bowed, took a stance, then attacked with a high hook kick. It was over in seconds.

He noticed the audience liked Daniel. Every time he won a fight, the cheers got louder. He could see people pointing at him, putting their heads together, smiling. Even through his years in the tournament, he’d never quite got that level of approval. Probably because he was tall, he was big, he wasn’t some little underdog. He swallowed. Well. None of that mattered. Winning was what mattered.

And Johnny won. Against guy after guy. At first it was kind of a cakewalk, but then the opponents got better and it got more fun. He kicked chest high, pulled his leg back like a whip, did strong pivoting roundhouse kicks, combos and punches, he was creative and quick and relentless.

Dutch was watching Daniel, too. He’d been talking a big game about how he was going to turn the little homo into mincemeat, but when it actually came time to fight the guy looked kind of nervous. He attacked big, strong, kicked out, hit LaRusso square in the face, got a point. LaRusso was on to him by then, let him charge, evaded, got in a knee kick, used his speed against him. Johnny grinned. LaRusso won. Dutch actually left, his shoulders hunched over with humiliation.

Then, the time came for Bobby and Daniel to go head to head. 

“I want him out of commission,” Kreese told Bobby. Bobby’s eye met Johnny’s, and Johnny shook his head.

“But sensei, I can beat this guy,” Bobby protested. “I’ll be disqualified.”

“Out. Of. Commission.”

“Bobby can take him,” Johnny said. “and if he can’t, I can.”

 _“Quiet!”_ Kreese told Johnny, and he almost jumped. “Mr Brown, you have your orders.”

Walking on the mat, Bobby looked torn. His eye met Johnny’s and Johnny made a face at him, willed him to remember their conversation about honor. For a moment, Johnny really believed Bobby would come through, but then he launched into a flying kick, right into Daniel’s knee. Daniel collapsed, crying out in pain, the crowd gasped, Mr Miyagi ran over to hold him, and the loudspeaker announced Bobby’s disqualification and that Johnny would be the default winner if Daniel didn’t recover within fifteen minutes. 

“I’m sorry, Daniel!” Bobby shouted as he got helped off the mat, his mom running over. Then Bobby walked over to the Cobra Kai team, looking down, and Johnny strode over to him, shoved him with both hands right in the chest and he fell backwards on the mat. Johnny planted a foot in his chest, put his weight on it, made a fist. Bobby gasped.

“What happened to honor? What happened to doing this right, huh? You fucking pussy!”

“I’m sorry!”

“Mr Lawrence!” 

Johnny swallowed down his anger, walked back over to Kreese.

“Do you have a problem, Mr Lawrence?”

“You don’t need to cripple that little pipsqueak for me to beat him!”

“Leave. The strategy. To me,” Kreese said in a dangerous voice.

Johnny took a deep breath. This was all going wrong. This was not going like he planned it at all. Fuck. _Fuck!_

He knew Daniel would make it back out _(please make it)_ but the wait was agony. He remembered how he’d thought maybe Kreese had done it for his benefit, the first time around. Like in a sick way he’d do anything to get Johnny the win. How naive. It was always about himself, his dojo. It was always about Cobra Kai.

His heart raced when he stood on the mat, about to be announced the winner. But then, Lucille LaRusso appeared, like an angel, told the ref to hold his damn horses, because Daniel LaRusso was going to fight. To thunderous applause, Daniel came back out, obviously putting his weight on one leg. 

“Daniel LaRusso of Miya-gee - “ Daniel leaned in to correct him - “Miyagi-do karate, versus John Lawrence, of Cobra Kai!” 

Where the audience had applauded Daniel, they booed Johnny. He hadn’t even done anything. How could he ever have thought Kreese had been looking out for him. 

"You okay?" Johnny asked. Daniel's eyes were big and brown and he nodded, just a quick nod but it was something, and Johnny nodded back, and then Daniel bowed and so did Johnny, properly this time, with respect.

Johnny raised his guard, took a stance. This was it.

*

“So what kind of kick are ya gonna teach me, Mr Miyagi?”

Daniel was excited. He loved learning new things, new techniques. He watched the old man go over to the practice dummy, then looked over his shoulder at Daniel. “This is difficult.”

“Great, let's see it.”

“Difficult because you have to come close. And you have to touch. Like friend. Or lover.”

Daniel frowned.

“Difficult to come close to good opponent. But let's say this guy is bad opponent. Haha!”

Mr Miyagi snapped his arm out, grabbed the side of the dummy's torso with a firm grip, pressing the length of his forearm against it, then, holding on, his leg swept out and up, hit the dummy so hard in the head with his foot it jiggled back and forth. Daniel's mouth fell open.

“Scorpion kick,” Mr Miyagi said. “when scorpion can come close enough, it can deal great damage, even if it is little. You want to try?”

Daniel stepped up.

*

Johnny struck first. Roundhouse back leg, roundhouse front leg, Daniel evading, quick even on his bad leg. He got in a punch while Johnny was landing and the ref called a point. Johnny took a deep breath. He was too keyed up. He needed to concentrate. He decided to go for a kick combo, technically difficult and dazzling to watch, he could almost feel the crowd’s approval before Daniel slid down on the floor, scissored his leg between his thighs and he fell like a ton of bricks, face first into the mat, _fuck fuck fuck_ , not again, Daniel got him with the elbow and another point was called. Good god, two-nil. 

He bounced up, quick, ready to go again, but the ref blew the whistle and told him to go to his sensei. He touched his face and realized his nose was bleeding. Cold fear gripped Johnny. This was too similar, too much like the first time. He walked over to Kreese, who tilted his head up and for a moment his hands were gentle on Johnny's face, like he was touching him with concern, but then he used his thumbs to spread the blood out over his cheeks like warpaint. 

"Sweep the leg."

Johnny swallowed. "No, sensei."

"What is your problem, Mr Lawrence?"

"I'm gonna beat him fair and square."

" _Sweep the leg._ That is a direct command, soldier. No mercy."

"This isn't 'Nam," Johnny said darkly, wiped the blood off his face with the back of his hand. Kreese's eyes turned black, but he was saved by the whistle, and he walked for the mat. He felt Kreese grab his arm hard but he jerked it out of his grip, didn't look back. 

"Are _you_ okay?" Daniel asked.

Johnny nodded.

He bowed to Daniel again. Daniel bowed back. He took a deep breath. He needed to think. He knew Daniel as an opponent. Johnny Lawrence could anticipate, too. They danced around each other for a bit, Johnny let Daniel strike first, he always was better at reacting than acting, Johnny easily evaded and kicked to his side. Point for Lawrence. He could do this. He could do this. Something went dark in Daniel’s eyes. Johnny launched into a high kick and so did Daniel, they kind of tangled up and then they were on the floor, Daniel underneath, Johnny caged him in with his legs and raised his elbow for a point, but then Daniel used the palms of his hands to shove backwards so Johnny’s elbow just hit the mat, LaRusso bounced back on his feet and came in with a crescent kick, Johnny slammed his body backwards into the mat just as Daniel’s foot flew over his face, then he bounced up, used a long leg to stride ahead and got Daniel with a punch to the face.

Point for Lawrence. Two-two.

This was it. He raised his guard, took a breath, let the energy and power build up inside him, bounced on his feet. He was a springwire. He expected Daniel to raise his hands in graceful arcs, balance on his foot, but he didn't. He raised his guard in a mirror of Johnny's, hands raised in front of himself, eyes wide. That was interesting. Oh, now it was getting interesting. 

With a warcry he charged. Clearly, he needed to get Daniel with a punch. He was too good at evading his kicks – kicks took a little more time, nanoseconds that little mosquito took full advantage of. He had to use his size and crowd him, get him at his biggest point, which was his chest, not give him the chance to flinch away. He stepped forward, big strides, Daniel stepped back but not quick enough. Johnny punched out, quick, explosive- and Daniel ducked, his legs disappearing underneath him, Johnny's fist brushed black hair, why would Daniel duck like that, that close, stupid, he could have broken his damn nose, but then he was back up, _close_ , his arm a firm gentle line up Johnny's side, fingers curling at his ribs, and Johnny had the crazy thought Daniel was going to hug him, but he didn't hug him. Daniel used Johnny's body as a counter weight, put his weight on one leg and let the other arc up and his foot hit Johnny in the side of the face hard, hit him right in the temple, it disorientated him so hard he lost his balance, crashed down to the mat.

_A fucking scorpion kick?_

The crowd went _wild_. The referee yelled out LaRusso's point and declared him the winner. The match was over. 

Johnny felt dazed and numb as Daniel was lifted up by the crowd, holding his trophy, he looked overwhelmed and happy. The applause wouldn’t stop, it rang in his head like a migraine. 

He'd lost. Again. He'd broken Daniel's young and tender heart, all for nothing. He'd changed absolutely _nothing._ In the future, he’d still be a failure. In the future, Miguel would still be hanging between life and death and might be crippled for life even if he did make it. In the future, Robby was probably destined for a lifetime of crime.

Johnny Lawrence had had his chance to put shit right. And he’d blown it.


	11. Chapter 11

"No, you're the loser, man," Johnny Lawrence told John Kreese. He'd caught up with him in the parking lot, telling him he was off the team, whatever. Johnny had heard it before.

"Oh, I'm the loser?" Kreese said.

"Yeah," Johnny told him, and then numbly watched as Kreese broke his second place trophy and tossed it aside, and he didn't even step back even though he knew what was coming. Kreese grabbed him and started choking him out. Johnny gasped for air, the guys tried stopping Kreese, and then he saw Daniel and mr Miyagi come over (again that concern in those eyes, not that Johnny deserved it), Miyagi told Kreese to let Johnny go, and then, familiarly, the world went black, and then it flickered.

"You're dead, amigo," the big latino guy said, and raised his foot, and it came crashing down towards Johnny's face. Then the world flickered again, and he could see _Daniel_ , grown up Daniel, look at him all concerned.

"Johnny? Johnny, can you hear me?"

*

Daniel LaRusso was sitting on his knees on the lawn and he reached down to touch Johnny Lawrence’s face. 

“Johnny, talk to me. Come on.”

Johnny opened his eyes then, looked at him, then blinked very hard, then looked at him, then blinked again for even longer, then looked at him with very round eyes. 

"God, are you alright? Johnny?"

"Uh"

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three."

"How's your head?"

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened?"

Daniel bit his lip. "Kind of got you with the roundhouse there, old buddy. You tuned out for a few seconds. Sure you're all right?"

Johnny blinked again. Then he raised his hands and stared at them. Then they came down to his chest, and he squeezed his pecs with a weird suspicious expression on his face. 

“Uuh... everything in place, slugger?”

"Miguel? Robby?" Johnny asked.

"What about them?" Daniel asked, confused.

"Where are they?"

"At the cinema with the other kids, remember? They left an hour ago." 

Johnny blinked again, then he looked around the garden, and over at the house, once Mr Miyagi’s house, then Daniel’s house, then Daniel’s abandoned house, now Johnny and Daniel’s house and dojo. He looked completely disoriented.

"I think we need to get you inside," Daniel said in a concerned voice. He pulled Johnny up, and put an arm around his waist. They walked into the house, and then Johnny pulled away, stumbled over to the little cluster of family photos on the wall, and looked at them, eyes drifting from one to the next. 

“Mom,” he said weakly, staring at the one of his mother with a six-year-old Robby on her lap, her hair buzzcut short and completely white but her grin radiant. Then he turned to Daniel. “you know where my mom is?”

"I can tell you exactly." He grabbed his phone, opened Facebook and searched up Lucille LaRusso, showed him her latest update. Johnny grabbed the phone out of his hand. 

**Lucille LaRusso**  
9 hrs ago  
_Just touched down in Naples with this hot broad Laura Lawrence. Men of Italy, look out!_

She’d uploaded a photo, too. They were raising glasses of Aperol Spritz, grinning wide at the camera. Underneath, Laura had commented a crying laughing emoji.

"You don't have to wonder long about where someone is if they're travelling with my mom. Looks like the Weintraub Settlement Cruise is going well."

"She left Sid," Johnny said tunelessly.

"Yes, Johnny, she did. Are you sure you're all right?"

“I think I need to go lie down.”

Daniel put his arm around him again and led him to their bedroom, wondered if he should call the doctor. Johnny was acting very weird. 

“Johnny, did you not remember your mom leaving Sid?”

“No, I- do, actually,” Johnny said slowly. “I _remember_. I remember when they discovered the cancer. I remember I punched him in the face when he wouldn’t shut the fuck up about getting her a boob job while she was still recovering from her mastectomy. I remember when it came back.”

“Yes,” Daniel said, pushed him down on the bed, and took his shoes off. “but she’s beaten it now, and she divorced the son of a bitch, and she’s having a great time in Europe with my mom.”

“Lucille,” Johnny said. “she’s the one who helped her go through with it. She got through to her.”

“I know, Johnny.”

“I tried. For years.”

Daniel sighed. “Not this again. Look, do you want me to get you an aspirin?”

"No, I just gotta..."

"Want me to leave you alone?" He leaned on the bed on one knee, touched his cheek. "Or you want me to stay?"

"Stay," Johnny said.

"Okay. Let's get cozy." He smiled, got in bed, pushed Johnny on his side and spooned him. "Sure you don't have a headache?" 

"Can you tell me a story, Daniel?"

"What?"

"Tell me about how we got together."

"The first time, or the second time?"

"Second."

"Um. Okay, sure." Yeah, this was weird. Maybe Johnny just wanted to hear the sound of his voice. "Well. Once upon a time, there was a very handsome prince, who ran his own auto dealership. And then one day a very big and musclebound blonde princess who reeked of whiskey showed up to collect her totaled car from the dealership."

He smiled. Remembered how fucking handsome Johnny had looked that day. A total mess, but a really sexy one. He was still all big and broad. Still had those golden locks. He’d tried to leave, but Daniel hadn’t let him.

"And well, the prince and the princess had a little history, going back, and they decided to go for a drink and it turned into a lot of drinks and then they went back to the prince's castle for a little sparring, for old times sake, and they kissed."

Daniel closed his eyes, thought about how they’d laid said by side on the floor of Daniel's garage/workout room, in their jeans and T-shirts, panting, two stupid, sweaty, drunk, middle aged men who had been fighting like they were teenagers again. Daniel's ribs were tender and there was a bruise on Johnny's thigh that was going to blossom into something big and blue.

"I finally got my win," Johnny had said.

"Yeah, yeah," Daniel had said. "I'm rusty. I haven't done this in a while."

There was a silence.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," Johnny said. "I got too caught up in the tournament. I can't even remember why it was so important to me anymore. Why I absolutely had to be the best out of the two of us. Seems crazy right now. I shouldn't have riled you up and I shouldn't have treated you like that, and I wish I could take it back, but I can't." He sighed. “I really fucked up.”

Daniel looked up at the ceiling. "Well. A noted poetry expert once told me there aren’t any do-overs in life." He tilted his head over to look at Johnny, and smiled. "But I appreciate the apology, all the same." He cleared his throat. "And well, tell you the truth, Johnny, the whole thing probably just meant a little more to me than to you. But that's okay."

"Huh?"

Daniel grinned. "Oh, come on man, you gotta know you were my first love. I was crazy about you."

"You don’t think it _meant anything_ to me?"

Daniel looked at him, shrugged a little. Johnny had been the one to end it, and he’d been pretty cruel about it. Felt petty going into all that now though. Especially as Daniel had won the tournament Johnny had staked so much on. Afterwards, Johnny dropped out of high school (apparently he’d got into modeling) and Daniel found himself in a whirlwind of popularity for a few months, and then he’d gone to Okinawa, met Kumiko... Things had worked out pretty well for him.

"Geeze." Johnny, still on his back, grabbed into his pocket for his wallet, old, worn, looked through a wad of papers and cards, they fell gracelessly over his chest, then he handed something over. Daniel took it, and his mouth fell open. It was faded and a little crinkled, but it was clearly the half of the Photomax strip from Golf n' stuff. From it teenage Johnny and Daniel smiled brightly, Daniel's arm around Johnny's neck. "Okay," Johnny said, sounded suddenly embarrassed. "give it back."

"You kept this? All this time?"

"Whatever, it's a good memory."

"I kept my half, too," Daniel said quietly. "still have it." Johnny looked at him with an unreadable expression, and then he got up on an elbow, his credit cards sliding from his chest to the floor.

Johnny's hand came down to rest on the other side of Daniel, allowed him to hover over him. Daniel looked up at him, his tongue coming out to wet his dry lips, and he didn't push him away or laugh or spare a thought for the fact his family was asleep in the house. When Johnny's mouth pressed down on his he parted his lips and the years fell away. He tasted like cheap beer and he tasted like the smell of Daniel's old Classic Ford the first day he drove it and he tasted like sitting on the back of Johnny's bike down the highway and he tasted like caramel popcorn and he tasted like Daniel's favorite Bruce Springsteen song and he tasted like _Johnny._

Daniel cleared his throat. 

"But, of course, the prince had married somebody else in the meantime, so that could only be a one time occurrence. But the prince and princess kind of couldn't stay away from each other, and then it happened again, and the prince knew he had to make a choice. And it was difficult and painful and a lot of people got hurt in the process."

Daniel moved closer, put both arms tighter around Johnny. It _had_ been tough. Old feelings rising to the surface and then bubbling over like milk left on the stove unattended. A really long Facebook message from Johnny all in caps that made it clear it wasn’t just Daniel (then, a little later, "my neighbor sez this makes me look like a lunatic but i don't know how to delete it"). Making love in Johnny’s crappy apartment. Rediscovering karate. The divorce. Anthony refusing to talk to him for two months. Johnny had taken him aside one day he was at their house on his court-mandated weekend visit, buried in his game as usual, and Daniel still wasn’t sure what he’d told the kid exactly but he’d thawed after that, thank god. 

Daniel nosed at Johnny’s hair, breathed in.

"You see, here's the thing. The princess was always kinda the one that got away, far as the prince was concerned. And now the prince had a second chance, he just didn't want to let her go. Ever. Even if she has the palate of a child, leaves her dirty socks on the floor and makes the prince watch Chuck Norris films but literally leaves the room whenever he turns on PBS."

"Why am I the princess? You're obviously the princess."

"Hey, who's telling the story, you or me? So the prince left his castle, and his auto dealership, and decided to give it a go with the princess, and they moved into a smaller castle with a beautiful Japanese garden and they run a dojo and they have all these wonderful kids and they make enough money to get by doing what they're best at and they are very, very happy. The end."

“It all changed,” Johnny said in a quiet voice. “because I love you.”

"Hey," Daniel said. "because we love _each other_ , Lawrence. You gonna leave the big spoon out of this?"

Johnny's hand came up, warm over Daniel's. "You're delusional, you're a teaspoon."

Daniel laughed softly against Johnny's neck, then pursed his lips for a kiss to his hairline.

“I think I’ll take that aspirin now, Daniel.”

*

Johnny woke up.

Johnny felt good.

Johnny felt fucking amazing.

He sighed, got out of bed, grabbed his plaid slippers from underneath the bed and walked out into the kitchen, stretching. Daniel was cooking and Johnny recognized the smell. Bistecca alla pizzaiola, his mother’s recipe. 

“Yess,” he said appreciatively, walked over, palmed Daniel’s ass. "that looks good.”

“My way of saying I’m sorry for kicking you unconscious,” Daniel said. “how do you feel?”

“Great.”

“You were acting kind of weird.”

“Was I?”

“Yeah, I was afraid I’d kicked a few screws loose there, for a second.”

“Don’t flatter yourself. Worry about your foot, not my head.” Johnny grinned.

Daniel laughed, shook his head. “Well, I’m sorry, anyway.”

“I forgive you.” Johnny kissed his neck, wrapped both arms around him from behind, pulled him close. God, he was so fucking pretty.

“Johnny, kind of in the middle of something here.”

“Come on. Five minutes.”

“You’re wired all wrong, I swear to god. I nearly gave you a concussion and you want to fool around.”

“So? It’s hot you can still get your legs up that high. Think you can repeat the trick, old man?”

Laughter gave way to wet, soft noises, little sighs and hums, and the rustle of clothes unzipping and falling to the floor. Across the room, on the wall, was the little cluster of family photos. As well as the one of Laura and Robby, there was one of Johnny and Daniel flanked by Robby, Sam, Anthony and Miguel, one of big sister Sam holding baby Anthony, David LaRusso in his uniform, a high school photo of Lucille, one of Mr Miyagi and Daniel on their first trip to Okinawa, and in the center of the cluster was a framed and taped-together Photomax strip of 17-year-old Daniel and Johnny fooling around at Golf n’ stuff. The top half was a lot more worn and faded than the bottom half, from its decades of being carried around in Johnny's wallet. But they still fit together. Perfectly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done! Hey thanks for reading all of this weird thing. Check out my [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ifmhyuGM9W7nTBTtChfXU?si=sy4Y3pYXSra21SZn_T8CdQ) for it if you like and find me on [tumblr](http://iamtheremin.tumblr.com) for real-time Macchio despair.


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